St. Louis alderwoman goes to D.C. after vote on ward budget

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St. Louis alderwoman goes to D.C. after vote on ward budget

(KPLR) – A St. Louis alderwoman heads to the nation’s capital Tuesday to discuss voter input in budget planning, also called participatory budgeting.

Sixth Ward Alderwoman Chrisine Ingrassia and other community leaders head to Washington D.C. after a recent election that let her constituents vote on how to spend $100,000 of the ward’s budget. Apparently, St. Louis is not the only city allowing citizens to decide on more than just bond issues and elected officials.

According to a statement from Participatory Budgeting St. Louis, voters in New York, Chicago, Vallejo, San Francisco, Boston, and New Orleans have also decided on spending plans. Groups from those cities are joining the event, “Promoting Innovation in Civic Engagement: Exploring Community-Led Participatory Budgeting in the United States”.

Leaders from Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment will also be in D.C. and may discuss how this type of voting can affect how HUD Community Development Funds are used.